Art of oil painting restoration



Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE No Drawing.Application November 17, 1933, Serial No. 698,490

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of the restoration of oil paintings oncanvas in which the restored painting is mounted upon a suitablereinforcing backing and involves certain novel steps in the restorationof the painting prior tosuch mounting. The art of restoration of oilpaintings is an ancient one and involves the greatest care and experttreatment. If the paint film has become cracked or is in a loosened orpeeling condition so that the surface of the film is broken or uneven,it is necessary that the paint film shall be brought to a smooth, evensurface before being mounted upon the new reinforcing backing. If thepaint film has become loose oris peeling from the canvas, whether or notit is cracked or broken, or if the canvas has deteriorated so as toafford an insuflicient support for the paint film, it is necessary thatthe paint film and the canvas shall i be permanently secured togetherwith the paint film in a smooth even condition before the painting ismounted on the new reinforcing backing.

. The present invention presents novel processes for securing theseresults and is independent of any treatment which may be necessary forthe restoration of the color or other characteristics of the paintingand is preliminary to any such treatment as well as preliminary to thesubsequent mounting upon a new reinforcing backing.

The object of the invention is to provide processes for bringing thepaint film to a smooth even surface and for effecting a durable andpermanent union of the paint film to the canvas which may be employedseparately or in conjunction, depending upon the requirements of theparticular painting and which may be carried on without any danger ofinjury to the paint film during the process of restoration and whichshall have no deleterious subsequent effect upon the painting.

The objects and nature of the invention will appear more fully from thefollowing disclosure of the preferred forms of the processes and of theresultant product and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out the process, if as a result of age or other conditionsthe film of paint on the canvas has become cracked or is loosened orpeeling so that the surface of the film is not in a smooth and evencondition, it is first brought into a permanent smooth even condition.This part of the process is effected in the present invention by, first,wetting the canvas and, second, by then drying the painting underpressure to eliminate moisture and to bring the paint film to therequired smooth surface. The step of wetting the 55 canvas may beperformed in any convenient manner, such, for example, as by brushing,sponging, or spraying the canvas on the back with water or by theapplication thereto of a dampened cloth offelt. In the step of dryingunder pressure, the painting may be subjected to the required 5 pressureby means of weights orby the use of a suitable press and with or withoutthe application of heat. But in any event, the amount of pressure andthe time of application and the temperature must be sufficient to smoothout cracks 10 or other blemishes and bring the paint film to a smooth,even surface in contact with the canvas,

to dry out all moisture from the canvas and to prevent shrinkage of thecanvas.

This portion of the process is novel in itself and may be followed byother desired processes of restoration and is preliminary to asubsequent process of mounting the treated painting by the aid of asuitable adhesive upon a new reinforcing backing, such, for example, asa newsheet of canvas or a panel of wood or other suitable material.

The invention also provides either in connection with the features justdescribed or independently thereof for the permanent securing of thepaint film to its canvas. In this portion of the process the canvas isimpregnated with a suitable material which will act permanently tosecure the paint film to the canvas and which is devoid of solvents orother components which change their characteristics deleteriously withtime or which act to impair the painting. A preferred material for thispurpose is a compound of a suitable wax and resin devoid of solvent orother components of a deleterious character. While various waxes andresins in the broader aspects of the invention may be employed in thecarrying out of this step, preferably a mixture of beeswax and rosin isemployed.

The rosin known on the market as cherry 40 rosin is excellent forthispurpose and a desirable mixture is two parts by weight of beeswax tothree parts by weight of such cherry rosin. The important characteristicof this compound is that it is devoid of solvents or other componentswhich would have either during the impregnation or during the subsequentlife of the painting a deleterious effect upon the paint film.

In carrying out this portion of the process, the canvas is preferablyimpregnated by applying the compound to the back of the canvas in eithera solid or melted condition. Heat in some form and preferably pressurealso are employed to secure the thorough impregnation of the canvas withthe compound. This may be done in any suitable manner such, for example,as by the use of warm irons or by placing the painting upon a heatedsurface. The operation is carried on until the compound thoroughlyimpregnates the canvas, en-

gages the paint film and permanently secures it to the canvas in asmooth, even condition.

The great advantage of the use of such a compound of wax and resin, andmore preferably of beeswax and rosin, is that it effects a permanentunion of the paint film and the canvas and maintains this unionunchangeable without injury to either the paint film or the canvas underall conditions to which such oil paintings are ordinarily subject. Afurther, advantage inheres in that such a compound can, when required,be readily removed without injury to the paint film should such removalthereafter become necessary for any reason. If the paint film has becomecracked, broken or uneven and is loosened or peeling from the canvas,both features of the process are sequentially employed, thus effectingthe bringing of the paint film to a smooth, even surface and securingthe permanent union of the paint film to the canvas by the use of amaterial which will not change its characteristics deleteriously withtime which will not impair the painting.

After either or both of the features of the process of this inventionhave been carried out,

the treated painting is then superposed and mounted upon a suitablereinforcing backing of canvas or a panel of wood or other material bymeans of a suitable adhesive. And before or after such mounting, suchtreatment for conditioning or effecting the restoration of the color ofthe painting may be carried out.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of bringing the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; and applying to the back of the canvas,and impregnating the canvas with, material acting permanently to securethe paint film to the canvas and devoid of components which change theircharacteristics deleteriously with time or impair the painting.

2. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of bringing the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; and applying to the back of the canvas,and impregnating the canvas with, a compound of wax and resin actingpermanently to secure the paint film to the canvas and devoid ofcomponents which change their characteristics deleteriously with time orimpair the painting.

3. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of bringing the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; and applying to the back of the canvas,and impregnating by the aid of heat and pressure the canvas with, acompound of beeswax and rosin acting permanently to secure the paintfilm to the canvas and devoid of components which change theircharacteristics deleteriously with time or impair the painting.

4. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of wetting the canvas; drying under pressure toeliminate moisture and to bring the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; and applying to the back of the canvas,and impregnating the canvas with, material acting permanently to securethe paint film to the canvas and devoid of components which change theircharacteristics deleteriously with time or impair the painting.

5. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of wetting the canvas; drying under pressure toeliminate moisture and to bring the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; and applying to the back of the canvas,and impregnating by the aid of heat the canvas with, a compound ofbeeswax and rosin acting permanently to secure the paint film to thecanvas and devoid of components which change their characteristicsdeleteriously with time or impair the painting.

6. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the step of applying to the back of the canvas, and

, impregnating the canvas with, a compound of wax and resin actingpermanently to secure the paint film to the canvas and devoid ofcomponents which change their characteristics deleteriously with time orimpair the painting.

7. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the step of applying, to the back of the canvas, and impregnating by theaid of heat and pressure the canvas with a compound of beeswax and rosinacting permanently to secure the paint film to the canvas and devoid ofcomponents which change I their characteristics deleteriously with timeor impair the painting.

8. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the step of wetting the canvas; drying under pressure to eliminatemoisture and. to bring the cracked, loosened or peeling paint film to asmooth, even surface.

9. In the process of the restoration of oil paintings on canvas andpreparatory to the adhesive mounting thereof upon a reinforcing backing,the sequential steps of wetting the canvas; drying under pressure toeliminate moisture and to bring the cracked, loosened or peeling paintfilm to a smooth, even surface; andv applying to the back of the canvasa compound consisting of substantially two parts of beeswax and threeparts of rosin by weight; effecting the impregnation of the canvas withsaid compound by the aid of heat and pressure and thereby the permanentsecuring of the smoothened paint film to the canvas.

GEORGE T. OLIVER.

